Simon Boerum (February 29, 1724 – July 11, 1775) was a farmer, miller, and political leader from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. He represented New York in the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775. He signed the

Continental Association The Continental Association, also known as the Articles of Association or simply the Association, was an agreement among the American colonies adopted by the First Continental Congress on October 20, 1774. It called for a trade boycott against ...

. Boerum's family settled on Long Island when it was a part of the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

colony of

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...

. His parents were William Jacob Boerum (1687–1766) and Rachel (Bloom) Boerum (1690–1738), who farmed in the town of New Lots, in Kings County, New York, which is now part of

. Simon was born there on February 29, 1724, and was baptized in the

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...

on March 8. He attended and graduated from the Dutch school in Flatbush. Boerum farmed and operated a mill in Flatbush. In 1748, he bought a home and garden at what is today is the southwest corner of

Fulton Fulton may refer to: People * Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship * Fulton (surname) Given name * Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer * Fult ...

and Hoyt streets in

downtown Brooklyn Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is known for its office and r ...

. On April 30, 1748, he married Maria Schenck (1726–1771), and the house became their home for the rest of their lives. In 1750, Governor George Clinton appointed Boerum as county clerk for Kings County. He would hold that office for the rest of his life, as well as a seat in the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...

Assembly after 1761. In 1774, the Assembly could not reach agreement about the Continental Congress. Kings County selected him to represent them, and on October 1, 1774, the Congress added him to the New York delegation. In the Congress, he supported the non-importation agreement and the more radical members in general. He helped to defeat the Galloway Plan for union and reconciliation with England. Early in 1775, the Colony's Assembly rejected the work of the first Congress and was hurriedly adjourned to prevent further measures from consideration. In April, Boerum was elected to the revolutionary

New York Provincial Congress The New York Provincial Congress (1775–1777) was a revolutionary provisional government formed by colonists in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a pro-American alternative to the more conservative New York General Assembly, and as a repla ...

. That body in turn named him once again to the Continental Congress, but illness soon forced his return from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Simon died at home on July 11, 1775, and was originally buried in the Dutch Burying Ground in New Lots. In 1848, he and his wife, Maria, were re-interred in the

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several blo ...

in Brooklyn.''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boerum, Simon 1724 births 1775 deaths Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Members of the New York General Assembly Members of the New York Provincial Congress Continental Congressmen from New York (state) 18th-century American politicians People from Brooklyn People of the Province of New York Signers of the Continental Association